Restaurant Week: By the numbers

Last week ended the latest installment of Restaurant Week here in Washington. Restaurant Week comes twice a year, and it's a time when you can eat a three-course meal at many of Washington's best restaurants at lunch for only $20.05 and at dinner for $30.05. Because I left for my vacation halfway through the Week, I had no choice but to cram the experience into the two nights at the front end.

Although the prices often represent a significant deal when you consider that a dinner entree alone often costs $30 around here, the downside to Restaurant Week is that a product quality/service drop may accompany the price drop. With restaurants pulling in less cash per four-top, they may tend to rush through service to maximize turnover. And with less frequent diners showing up at restaurants to take advantage of the lower costs, the restaurants may not feel the need to pull out all the stops.

Consider the two restaurants that I hit. The first stop was 1789, a Washington institution that has been around for more than 60 years. With its prime spot near Georgetown University, 1789 has a constantly renewing client base of visiting parents wishing to take their student-scholars out for a fancy dinner, not to mention foodies who show up for the creative grub. The service at 1789 was leisurely and relaxed -- and the quality of the food outstanding. I started with the pumpkin ravioli smothered in chanterelles, continued with the venison and lentils, and ended with an apple Charlotte. My girlfriend started with the French onion soup, continued with the restaurant's signature rack of lamb (for a $10 supplement -- a Restaurant Week trick used by many restaurants, including Vidalia, to cover, and maximize costs), and ended with the white chocolate creme brulee. There was no indication that the service/food quality had fallen along with the prices. Indeed, the 1789 brass seemed to recognize that Restaurant Week is a chance for restaurants to attract new customers with a special deal to get them in the door.

The second stop in my Restaurant Week tour was Butterfield 9. Butterfield 9 is a new American restaurant that is always solid, but never creatively great. I started with the shallot soup with sliced duck confit, a bit oily but otherwise richly sweet. The next course was a lightly breaded cod with sauteed greens. Again, a bit oily, but otherwise not terribly flaky or dry. The dessert was an outstanding Mexican chocolate cake that hovered between pastry and mousse. For 30 bucks, not too shabby. The problem? From the outset, it was clear that it was Butterfield 9 management's lone objective to run through as many customers as possible -- and thus to rack in as much cash as possible on a night when the big spenders don't come out to play. The entree came out right on the heels of the soup, allowing the absolute minimum time for digestion. The server almost literally threw the dishes down on the table, picking them up as soon as it appeared that anyone was getting close to finishing. And as we finished our port with dessert, the maitre d' twice asked us if we needed anything else -- translation: get the hell out so that we can use your table again.

If I pay $30 for a complete meal -- even if it's less than the usual price tag, I don't want gruff, hurried service. If a restaurant signs on to do Restaurant Week, not only should it live up to the standard to which it should aspire on a regular night, it should go above and beyond -- to reel in those folks who dine out less.

I won't return to Butterfield 9. But if I have some cash to burn, I'll certainly go back to 1789.